भीष्म उवाच चकार यत्नं द्रुपदः सुतायाः सर्वकर्मसु। ततो लेख्यादिषु तथा शिल्पेषु च परंतप॥
Bhishma said Drupada bestowed all possible care on all the (necessary) accomplishments of his daughter, O vanquisher of foes, teaching her writing, painting and all the arts.
इष्वस्त्रे चैव राजेन्द्र द्रोणशिष्यो बभूव ह। तस्य माता महाराज राजानं वरवर्णिनी॥ चोदयामास भार्यार्थं कन्यायाः पुत्रवत् तदा। ततस्तां पार्षतो दृष्ट्वा कन्यां सम्प्राप्तयौवनाम्। स्त्रियं मत्वा ततश्चिन्तां प्रपेदे सह भार्यया॥
And in (the practice of) arrows and (other) weapons O great king, she became a disciple of Drona. And O great king, the mother of that child, a lady of the fairest complexion, urged the king for a wife for that daughter, as if she were a son. Thereupon the sin of Prishata, perceiving her to have attained youth, became thoughtful along with his wife, considering her to be a female.
दुपद उवाच कन्या ममेयं सम्प्राप्ता यौवनं शोकवर्धिनी। मया प्रच्छादिता चेयं वचनाच्छूलपाणिनः॥
Drupada said This daughter of mine, who now adds to my woe, has attained her youth. And she has been concealed by me on the strength of the) words of the holders of the trident.
भार्योवाच न तन्मिथ्या महाराज भविष्यति कथंचन। त्रैलोक्यकर्ता कस्माद्धि वृथा वक्तुमिहार्हति॥
His wife said Ogreat king, that (word) will never prove false. How can it be proper for the Creator of the three worlds to speak anything false on this earth?
यदि ते रोचते राजन् वक्ष्यामि शृणु मे वचः। श्रुत्वेदानीं प्रपद्येथाः स्वां मतिं पृषतात्मज॥
If it pleases you, O king, hear what I say. And then having listened to it, the descendant of Prishata may take to his own wisdom.
क्रियतामस्य यत्नेन विधिवद् दारसंग्रहः। भविता तद्वचः सत्यमिति मे निश्चिता मतिः॥
According to due rites, cause him to take a wife, with all care. Those words of him (Shiva) will turn out true, even this is my firm belief.
ततस्तौ निश्चयं कृत्वा तस्मिन् कार्येऽथ दम्पती। वरयांचक्रतुः कन्यां दशार्णाधिपतेः सुताम्॥
Then that royal couple, making a firm resolution as regards that work, chose as a bride the maiden daughter of the king Dasharnakas.
ततो राजा द्रुपदो राजसिंहः सर्वान् राज्ञः कुलतः संनिशाम्य। दशार्णकस्य नृपतेस्तनूजां शिखण्डिने वरयामास दारान्॥
Thereupon the king Drupada, the lion among kings, having heard of the (respective) purity if descent of the lineage of all kings, chose the daughter of the king of the Dasharnaka territory as the wife of Shikhandin.
हिरण्यवर्मेति नृपो योऽसौ दाशार्णकः स्मृतः। स च प्रादान्महीपालः कन्यां तस्मै शिखण्डिने।॥
That king Dasharnaka, known Hiranyavarman (or the golden-armoured) even that ruler of earth gave away his daughter to that Shikhandin.
स च राजा दशार्णेषु महानासीत् सुदुर्जयः। हिरण्यवर्मा दुर्धर्षो महासेनो महामनाः॥
And throughout all the Dasharnaka territories that king was a mighty one, and incapable of being conquered. He protected by a golden Armour, was irresistible, had a large army and was high-souled.
कृते विवाहे तु तदा सा कन्या राजसत्तम! यौवनं समनुप्राप्ता सा च कन्या शिखण्डिनी॥
And some time after the wedding had been performed, that daughter, O best of kings, attained her youth; and that daughter, Shikhandin, had also attained her youth.
कृतदारः शिखण्डी च काम्पिल्यं पुनरागमत्। ततः सा वेद तां कन्या कञ्चित् कालं स्त्रियं किल॥१३ हिरण्यवर्मणः कन्या ज्ञात्वा तां तु शिखण्डिनीम्।
as was And Shikandin, being wedded, returned to Kampilya. And then after a certain time she (daughter of Hiranyavarma) came to know her to be a woman. And the daughter of Hiranyavarman, knowing Shikhandin to be a woman,
धात्रीणां च सखीनां च वीडमाना न्यवेदयत्। कन्यां पञ्चालराजस्य सुतां तां वै शिखण्डिनीम्॥
Represented to her nurses and lady companions with shame (this fact) about the maiden daughter of the king of the Panchalas, viz. Shikhandin.
ततस्ता राजशार्दूल धात्र्यो दाशार्णिकास्तदा। जग्मुरार्ति परां प्रेष्याः प्रेषयामासुरेव च॥
Then those nurses from the Dasharnaka territories, O best among kings, became greatly afflicted, and dispatched emissaries (to their king).
ततो दशार्णाधिपतेः प्रेष्याः सर्वा न्यवेदयन्। विप्रलम्भं यथावृत्तं स च चुक्रोध पार्थिवः॥
Thereupon all the emissaries to the king of the Dasharnaka territories informed him of the deception that had been practice, as it had happened. And that king became filled with anger.
शिखण्ड्यपि महाराज पुंवद् राजकुले तदा। विजहार मुदा युक्तः स्त्रीत्वं नैवातिरोचयन्॥
And, O great king, Shikhandin also at that time conducted himself like a male at the royal court with great joy, setting aside as it were his feminine nature.
ततः कतिपयाहस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा भरतर्षभ। हिरण्यवर्मा राजेन्द्र रोषादार्ति जगाम ह॥
After the lapse of a few days, O best of the race of Bharata, on hearing of this fact (Shikhandin bearing himself like a male), Hiranyavarman, O great king, was afflicted with anger.
ततो दाशार्णको राजा तीव्रकोपसमन्वितः। दूतं प्रस्थापयामास दुपदस्य निवेशनम्॥
Thereupon the king of Dasharna country, being filled with terrible anger, sent an ambassador to the court of king Drupada.
ततो द्रुपमासाद्य दूतः काञ्चनवर्मणः। एक एकान्तमुत्सार्य रहो वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Then the ambassador of the goldenarmoured king having alone approached the king Drupada, took him aside and spoken these words to him in private.
दाशार्णराजो राजंस्त्वामिदं वचनमब्रवीत्। अभिषङ्गात् प्रकुपितो विप्रलब्धस्त्वयाऽघ॥
The king of the Dasharna country, O king, has spoken these words to you, being deceived by you and enraged with you at the deception, O sinless one.
अवमन्यसे मां नृपते नूनं दुर्मन्त्रितं तव। यन्मे कन्यां स्वकन्यार्थते मोहाद् याचितवानसि॥
"You have insulted me. Surely it was not considerately done that you wanted my daughter for your daughter from folly.
तस्याद्य विप्रलम्भस्य फलं प्राप्नुहि दुर्मते। एष त्वा सजनामात्यमुद्धरामि स्थिरो भव॥
Take now the fruit of that act of deception, O wicked one, for I will now slay you with all your relatives and ministers. Wait a bit.”